We have already seen Microsoft deal with a major security issue in Skype earlier this month, when an exploit that allowed anyone to access any Skype account was quickly fixed within a few hours. However, a problem that has been an issue with Skype much longer is now getting Microsoft's attention.
Basically, this feature is based on the default setting in Skype that allows its users to receive unsolicited calls from other Skype accounts. Hackers have been using this feature for some time to call Skype users and direct them to scam websites. Those who use Skype have already indicated they don't want to mess with changing the default on unsolicited calls.
PCWorld.com reports that Microsoft is trying to make sure these scam artists are shut down before they can do much damage. Adrian Asher, chief security officer for the Skype, says the Microsoft division relies in part on its users to report malicious calls. Asher also says they hope to shut down these Skype scam users to just one second after they go live, rather than "tens of seconds."
This help has already caused a decrease in the number of Skype scam calls, Asher says, although he admits, "Sometimes they catch us off guard. I'm happy we're getting to the point where we see it eradicated or it is at a very small level." Of course, Skype users can make an effort of their own to shut out the hackers by simply going into Skype's settings and allowing only people in their contact list to call them.
Source: PCWorld.com | Image via Microsoft
2 Comments - Add comment